2024 January eBytes
Microsoft Copilot for Windows 11 Gets GPT-4 Turbo and Dall-E 3
This $69 Android tablet is a sign you should stop overpaying for fancier ones
How to Remove Bloatware From Your New PC
Passkeys: What They Are and Why You Need Them ASAP
Editors' Favorites: The Best Stuff We Bought in 2023
Ahead of Shutdown, Here's How to Migrate Google Podcasts to YouTube Music
Is It Compatible? How to See Which Model iPhone or iPad You Have
Wi-Fi Range Extender vs. Mesh Network: What's the Difference?
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Microsoft Copilot for Windows 11 Gets GPT-4 Turbo and Dall-E 3
The enhancements will also upgrade Bing Search.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/microsoft-copilot-for-windows-11-gets-gpt-4-turbo-and-dall-e-3
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This $69 Android tablet is a sign you should stop overpaying for fancier ones
For most users, most of the time, high-powered iPads are just money wasted. With so many great alternatives for so much less, here's one especially amazing tablet deal.
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How to Remove Bloatware From Your New PC
A new Windows PC typically comes with software you don't want. Here's how to deal with it.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-rid-a-new-pc-of-crapware
The 12 Windows apps I keep (and the 11 I dump) on every new install - A default installation of Windows 11 includes dozens of Microsoft apps. Which ones are worth keeping, and which ones should you uninstall? These are my top picks.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/these-are-the-windows-11-apps-i-use-and-the-ones-i-dump
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Passkeys: What They Are and Why You Need Them ASAP
We tell you what passkeys are, how you can get them, and where you can use them to log in securely without exposing your email address or creating a password.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/passwordless-authentication-what-it-is-and-why-you-need-it-asap
How to Set Up Passkeys for Your Google Account - Passkeys are easier to use and more secure than passwords, but getting started with them isn't simple. We tell you how to set up and use passkeys for Google on all your devices.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/set-up-passkeys-for-google-account
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Editors' Favorites: The Best Stuff We Bought in 2023
We test a lot of excellent products here at PCMag, but these are the ones so good that our editors and writers purchased them for themselves this year.
https://www.pcmag.com/articles/the-best-stuff-we-bought-in-2023
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Ahead of Shutdown, Here's How to Migrate Google Podcasts to YouTube Music
Google will officially retire Google Podcasts at the end of March, and users will have until July 2024 to export or migrate their subscriptions.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/ahead-of-shutdown-heres-how-to-migrate-google-podcasts-to-youtube-music
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Is It Compatible? How to See Which Model iPhone or iPad You Have
Not sure what generation iPad you have? Don't know if your iPhone is compatible with the latest version of iOS? Here’s how to find out.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-generation-ipad-model-iphone-do-i-have
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Wi-Fi Range Extender vs. Mesh Network: What's the Difference?
Looking to increase the power of your current wireless connection? Learn the difference between a Wi-Fi extender and a mesh system to make a better decision.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/wi-fi-range-extender-vs-mesh-network-whats-the-difference
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
5 Bad Habits Destroying Your Smartphone - Has your smartphone not been lasting as long as you think it should? Here are five things you are probably doing wrong, and how to fix your bad habits.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/bad-habits-destroying-your-smartphone
How to Buy, Sell, and Swap Gift Cards - Do you have a gift card you can't use, or are you having trouble finding a specific card to purchase? You can buy, sell, or swap gift cards at a variety of exchange sites.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/buy-sell-and-swap-gift-cards
The Best Personal Finance Software for 2024 - Need to make sense of your budget, get a grasp on your household spending, check your credit score, or find a replacement for Mint? We test and rate the top apps to help you analyze your financial health.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-personal-finance-services
Have 10 hours? IBM will train you in AI fundamentals - for free - I already took IBM's AI ethics class and plan to complete the rest to earn my digital credential in AI over the holiday break.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/earn-an-ai-fundamentals-credential-from-ibm-for-free
How to Password Protect a PDF (With and Without Adobe Acrobat) - Don't let your sensitive data fall into the wrong hands. These tools encrypt important PDFs without the need to spend hundreds of dollars on the full Adobe Acrobat program.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-password-protect-a-pdf
12 Simple Tips to Speed Up Windows - Make your Windows 11 (or Windows 10) PC run faster without compromising its interface or functionality.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/12-tips-to-speed-up-windows-10-windows-11
Apple: Just a Reminder That You Can Encrypt Your iCloud Data - As data breaches persist, Apple reiterates that with Advanced Data Protection, consumers can end-to-end encrypt most of their iCloud data to keep it safe, but only if they opt in.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-just-a-reminder-that-you-can-encrypt-your-icloud-data
Need an Android App, Game Refresh? These Are Google's Top Picks for 2023 - These are the best apps, games, and ebooks across Google Play this year, according to Google. The list includes hits like Honkai: Star Rail, Monopoly Go, Imprint, and some old favorites.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/need-an-android-app-game-refresh-these-are-googles-top-picks-for-2023
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Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
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Q. From a PCC Member - Do you use Bit Warden Password Manager?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I highly recommend Bit Warden because of its features and Free on all devices. See the Apr 2022 past meeting on Security and Passwords. Bit Warden lets you Export the info that I recommend you store on a flash drive and keep in a fireproof safe. When I moved from LastPass to Bit Warden I Exported the data in LastPass and Imported into Bit Warden. This also works if you have been saving passwords in Chrome or any other password manager.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Had issues setting up a new PC using a service Techy Dudes. Could not copy data and had to pull the old drive without issues.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. A new machine should not be hard to set up. See the May 2023 past meeting on things to do. You should be able to use your old device backup to setup the new device. Setting up a new device tests how well your backup is. The Techy Dudes may have run into issues with the new security in Windows 11 with disk encryption. Also, I talked with the user that he had been using old copies of Quicken and MS Office. I recommended the member either upgrade to the new version of Quicken or use another package. I use GNU Cash a free package and was able to Export the Accounts and data from Quicken into GNU Cash. For the old MS Office take a look at the Aug 2021 past meeting on MS Office and Alternatives.
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Q. From a PCC Member - What is the best software for a PDF file?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. It all depends on if you just view a pdf or need to edit it. Most viewers are free with the free Adobe viewer fine for most people. If you need to create, edit, or combine pdf there are a number of free options including MS Word. I have also recommended and use the free Adobe app that lets you use your phone camera to create a pdf and share or download with anyone.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Do you recommend a VPN?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. No. See the Mar 2021 meeting where I talk about what a VPN does and does not do.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I have been using Macrium Reflect for backup imaging of my hard drive, but they no longer offer the free version. The May 2022 PCC meeting slides say that disk imaging is not recommended due to the time & disk space required, but I find this a minor inconvenience and would like to continue with a full image backup. Can you recommend any free or low-cost imaging utilities to replace Macrium Reflect?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Thirty years ago myself and others would do image backups to be able to recover because it was not if the drive would fail, only when. Today they are no longer needed because the drives are better and the systems have built in recovery. Windows lets you create Restore points and Recovery disks that have replaced the reason for images along with drives rarely crash like they did in the past. Also, with Windows 11 security, encryption, and hardware BIOS an image will not work. I recommend people make sure the user data is backed up and available to be restored on any device, an image can not do that. If you want to talk more or have other questions, let me know.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Tom; do you have any experience using a security key like YubiKey? Any recommendations? Any caveats?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I do have experience. In the past the keys were a good solution. Today I would recommend the use of Passkeys instead. I have included several articles on them in past and current eBytes and should do a security presentation in 2024.
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